Horses in Friday's Kentucky Oaks have strong Marion ties

Published: Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 6:59 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 8:29 p.m.

More than half the field in this year’s $1 million Kentucky Oaks have strong ties to Marion County.

The Oaks, the sister race to the Kentucky Derby, is run on Friday — one day before the Derby — during a program dubbed Ladies’ Day. The day features several top-level stakes races open only to female thoroughbreds.

The Oaks highlights the program and will celebrate its 139th running, the same as the Derby. The 1 1/8-mile race attracted 11 of the best 3-year-old fillies in the country. As of Thursday afternoon, the field was down to 10 after Flashy Gray scratched.

The favorite, Dreaming of Julia, got her early training at the former Vinery farm in Summerfield. She opens at odds of 3-1.

Bred and owned by Stonestreet Stables, the filly has only raced twice this year, but her last time out, she posed a gaudy 21 3/4-length victory in the Gulfstream Oaks on March 30 at the race’s namesake track in South Florida.

That performance had some in the industry wondering if the filly is not the best horse in the country, regardless of sex. And while Dreaming of Julia did not qualify for the Derby thanks to a new points system, which would have required the filly to race against males at least once and finish first or second, her owners weren’t too keen to run her in the Derby anyway.

Barbara Banke, who has continued operating Stonestreet after the death of her husband, Jess Jackson, has not ruled out running the filly in the Preakness or Belmont Stakes.

Banke, as part of Stonestreet, purchased Vinery’s 220-acre breeding and training farm near Summerfield in December for $6.6 million, according to Marion County Clerk of Court records.

The property is now Stonestreet Training and Rehabilitation Center and serves as a training center for Stonestreet horses.

Dreaming of Julia drew the No. 8 post position. She is trained by Todd Pletcher, who also trains three other horses in the race, including the second choice, Unlimited Budget.

Unlimited Budget was bred in Marion County by Ocala Stud farm. The daughter of Street Sense is undefeated in her career.

The filly went through Ocala Stud’s training program and was sold at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales’ 2012 March auction for $475,000.

“We’re pretty excited about her. We really think she has a big chance,” said David O’Farrell, Ocala Stud’s farm manager.

She’s already earned more than $610,000 in her four wins, including three straight graded stakes races.

Her last win came at Fair Grounds Race Course near New Orleans on March 30. She won the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks by 1 3/4 lengths.

What makes the filly’s success even sweeter is her link to the farm’s origin.

“When my grandfather bought the farm here in 1956, it came with a package of mares including one called Ole Bess, who is the fourth dam to Unlimited Budget,” O’Farrell said. “You look at her pedigree and it’s all Ocala Stud. It’s our entire history.”

The filly is owned by Repole Stables, which was established by Mike Repole, the founder of Vitaminwater. Repole is a frequent buyer at OBS.

Unlimited Budget is listed at odds of 7-2 and drew the No. 4 post.

Also at odds of 7-2 is Beholder, which was trained in Reddick at Raul Reyes’ Kings Equine.

“Any other year, she would be the favorite,” Reyes said.

The daughter of Henny Hughes has won three Grade 1 races, including the Santa Anita Oaks on April 6.

The filly was sent to Reyes as a yearling after she was bought by Spendthrift Farm.

“She was a sweetheart. She was nothing but a nice girl,” said Reyes. “I think she has a great opportunity to win the race. I’d like to see her on the lead. All her wins she has led from wire to wire.”

Beholder drew post position No. 3 and is trained by Richard Mandella.

Midnight Lucky is the third choice in the race at odds of 9-2. The daughter of Midnight Lute also called Marion County home for several months.

The filly was sent to Shari and Barry Eisaman’s farm by trainer Bob Baffert for early schooling.

“We gave (her) gate work and breezed (her). Technically, we did all the finish work and got (her) ready to go to California,” said Barry Eisaman.

Midnight Lucky has raced only twice in her career, but has dominated both times. In her last race, the Sunland Park Oaks, she won by eight lengths. In her racing debut, she won a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita Park by 7 1/4 lengths.

In the Oaks, she breaks from the No. 2 post.

Rose to Gold, which went through the OBS ring as a 2-year-old, is a 15-1 long shot in the Oaks, but has posted big wins in her career, including a 13-length win in the Lindsay Frolic Stakes and a 13½-length victory in the Brave Raj Stakes as a 2-year-old at the Calder Race Course.

She has won her last two starts in the Honeybee and Fantasy Stakes, both Grade 3 races at Oaklawn Park. The daughter of Friends Lake will be ridden by three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel and breaks from the No. 9 post.

A second Florida-bred also tries her luck in the race. Silsita is a 20-1 long shot.

The daughter of Macho Uno was bred by Tanourin Stable, which still owns an interest in the filly. She is coming off the biggest win of her career in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Stakes at Turfway Park in March. She won the 1-mile race by a nose.

<p>More than half the field in this year's $1 million Kentucky Oaks have strong ties to Marion County.</p><p>The Oaks, the sister race to the Kentucky Derby, is run on Friday — one day before the Derby — during a program dubbed Ladies' Day. The day features several top-level stakes races open only to female thoroughbreds.</p><p>The Oaks highlights the program and will celebrate its 139th running, the same as the Derby. The 1 1/8-mile race attracted 11 of the best 3-year-old fillies in the country. As of Thursday afternoon, the field was down to 10 after Flashy Gray scratched.</p><p>The favorite, Dreaming of Julia, got her early training at the former Vinery farm in Summerfield. She opens at odds of 3-1.</p><p>Bred and owned by Stonestreet Stables, the filly has only raced twice this year, but her last time out, she posed a gaudy 21 3/4-length victory in the Gulfstream Oaks on March 30 at the race's namesake track in South Florida.</p><p>That performance had some in the industry wondering if the filly is not the best horse in the country, regardless of sex. And while Dreaming of Julia did not qualify for the Derby thanks to a new points system, which would have required the filly to race against males at least once and finish first or second, her owners weren't too keen to run her in the Derby anyway.</p><p>Barbara Banke, who has continued operating Stonestreet after the death of her husband, Jess Jackson, has not ruled out running the filly in the Preakness or Belmont Stakes.</p><p>Banke, as part of Stonestreet, purchased Vinery's 220-acre breeding and training farm near Summerfield in December for $6.6 million, according to Marion County Clerk of Court records.</p><p>The property is now Stonestreet Training and Rehabilitation Center and serves as a training center for Stonestreet horses.</p><p>Dreaming of Julia drew the No. 8 post position. She is trained by Todd Pletcher, who also trains three other horses in the race, including the second choice, Unlimited Budget.</p><p>Unlimited Budget was bred in Marion County by Ocala Stud farm. The daughter of Street Sense is undefeated in her career.</p><p>The filly went through Ocala Stud's training program and was sold at the Ocala Breeders' Sales' 2012 March auction for $475,000.</p><p>“We're pretty excited about her. We really think she has a big chance,” said David O'Farrell, Ocala Stud's farm manager.</p><p>She's already earned more than $610,000 in her four wins, including three straight graded stakes races.</p><p>Her last win came at Fair Grounds Race Course near New Orleans on March 30. She won the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks by 1 3/4 lengths.</p><p>What makes the filly's success even sweeter is her link to the farm's origin.</p><p>“When my grandfather bought the farm here in 1956, it came with a package of mares including one called Ole Bess, who is the fourth dam to Unlimited Budget,” O'Farrell said. “You look at her pedigree and it's all Ocala Stud. It's our entire history.”</p><p>The filly is owned by Repole Stables, which was established by Mike Repole, the founder of Vitaminwater. Repole is a frequent buyer at OBS.</p><p>Unlimited Budget is listed at odds of 7-2 and drew the No. 4 post.</p><p>Also at odds of 7-2 is Beholder, which was trained in Reddick at Raul Reyes' Kings Equine.</p><p>“Any other year, she would be the favorite,” Reyes said.</p><p>The daughter of Henny Hughes has won three Grade 1 races, including the Santa Anita Oaks on April 6.</p><p>The filly was sent to Reyes as a yearling after she was bought by Spendthrift Farm.</p><p>“She was a sweetheart. She was nothing but a nice girl,” said Reyes. “I think she has a great opportunity to win the race. I'd like to see her on the lead. All her wins she has led from wire to wire.”</p><p>Beholder drew post position No. 3 and is trained by Richard Mandella.</p><p>Midnight Lucky is the third choice in the race at odds of 9-2. The daughter of Midnight Lute also called Marion County home for several months.</p><p>The filly was sent to Shari and Barry Eisaman's farm by trainer Bob Baffert for early schooling.</p><p>“We gave (her) gate work and breezed (her). Technically, we did all the finish work and got (her) ready to go to California,” said Barry Eisaman.</p><p>Midnight Lucky has raced only twice in her career, but has dominated both times. In her last race, the Sunland Park Oaks, she won by eight lengths. In her racing debut, she won a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita Park by 7 1/4 lengths.</p><p>In the Oaks, she breaks from the No. 2 post.</p><p>Rose to Gold, which went through the OBS ring as a 2-year-old, is a 15-1 long shot in the Oaks, but has posted big wins in her career, including a 13-length win in the Lindsay Frolic Stakes and a 13½-length victory in the Brave Raj Stakes as a 2-year-old at the Calder Race Course.</p><p>She has won her last two starts in the Honeybee and Fantasy Stakes, both Grade 3 races at Oaklawn Park. The daughter of Friends Lake will be ridden by three-time Kentucky Derby winner Calvin Borel and breaks from the No. 9 post.</p><p>A second Florida-bred also tries her luck in the race. Silsita is a 20-1 long shot.</p><p>The daughter of Macho Uno was bred by Tanourin Stable, which still owns an interest in the filly. She is coming off the biggest win of her career in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Stakes at Turfway Park in March. She won the 1-mile race by a nose.</p><p>The filly is also trained by Pletcher and drew post No. 1.</p><p>The Oaks is scheduled for 5:45 p.m.</p>